Virginia Attorney General Intervenes in GOP Primary Ballot Dispute

[Bindare_Dundat]

Funny, all of sudden this is a huge concern. lol     



Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is intervening in the Virginia presidential primary dispute and plans to file emergency legislation to address the inability of most Republican presidential candidates to get their name on the ballot, Fox News has learned.
 
Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul qualified for the Virginia primary, a contest with 49 delegates up for grabs.
 
The failure of other candidates to qualify -- notably Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry -- led to complaints that the 10,000-signature requirement is too stringent.
 
Cuccinelli, who is a Republican, shared the concerns.
 
"Recent events have underscored that our system is deficient," he said in a statement. "Virginia owes her citizens a better process. We can do it in time for the March primary if we resolve to do so quickly."
 
Cuccinelli's proposal is expected to state that if the Virginia Board of Elections certifies that a candidate is receiving federal matching funds, or has qualified to receive them, that candidate will upon request be automatically added to the ballot.
 
Two former Democratic attorneys general are also backing the move, along with a former Democratic state party chairman and a former Republican state party chairman.
 
Former state Attorney General Tony Troy called the Virginia process a "legal and constitutional embarrassment."
 
Fellow former top Virginia prosecutor Steve Rosenthal said: "This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. If it takes emergency legislation, then we need to do it."
 
Sources told Fox News that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to support the emergency legislation as well.
 
Perry has meanwhile filed a lawsuit, while a local activist has filed another lawsuit on Gingrich's behalf -- though the individual is not with the campaign.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/31/virginia-attorney-general-intervenes-in-gop-primary-ballot-dispute/#ixzz1i8QL7G7I

[240 is Back]

we can call it the Ron Paul Rule.

[Bindare_Dundat]

we can call it the Ron Paul Rule.

lol

[MM2K]

Maybe its an embarassment that the candidates couldnt get on the ballot. I dont know much about the intracacies of this process, but people have said that it isnt hard. You just stay at a mall and get signatures. Should Romney and Paul have put their personell in other places besides Virginia in the anticipation that the rule was going to be changed after the fact? They could have used those resources elsewhere. This is horse shit.

[240 is Back]

Maybe its an embarassment that the candidates couldnt get on the ballot. I dont know much about the intracacies of this process, but people have said that it isnt hard. You just stay at a mall and get signatures. Should Romney and Paul have put their personell in other places besides Virginia in the anticipation that the rule was going to be changed after the fact? They could have used those resources elsewhere. This is horse shit.

agreed 100%.

Being able to manage 50 campaign efforts in 50 states can be difficult.

however, in my opinion, if a guy can't manage that, he sure as fck can't manage a nation of 305 million.

[Bindare_Dundat]

Maybe its an embarassment that the candidates couldnt get on the ballot. I dont know much about the intracacies of this process, but people have said that it isnt hard. You just stay at a mall and get signatures. Should Romney and Paul have put their personell in other places besides Virginia in the anticipation that the rule was going to be changed after the fact? They could have used those resources elsewhere. This is horse shit.

The more I follow politics the more I despise it. It is  beyond corrupt.

[Dos Equis]

Maybe its an embarassment that the candidates couldnt get on the ballot. I dont know much about the intracacies of this process, but people have said that it isnt hard. You just stay at a mall and get signatures. Should Romney and Paul have put their personell in other places besides Virginia in the anticipation that the rule was going to be changed after the fact? They could have used those resources elsewhere. This is horse shit.

It's an absolute embarrassment. 

[Dos Equis]

Candidates join Perry's Virginia lawsuit
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Liptak

(CNN) - Four candidates left off the Virginia Republican primary ballot joined Rick Perry Saturday in suing the state's board of elections over laws they say are "unconstitutional."

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum joined the lawsuit, originally filed Tuesday, challenging provisions that determine who can appear on the primary ballot.

On Wednesday, Gingrich cited fraud as the reason he didn’t make it onto the ballot, laying the blame on one of his campaign's paid volunteers.

"We hired somebody who turned in false signatures. We turned in 11,100 – we needed 10,000 – 1,500 of them were by one guy who frankly committed fraud,” Gingrich said.

On Saturday, Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said they were looking into the petition fraud case, but that their top priority was getting on the ballot.

All five candidates filing the lawsuit failed to qualify for the ballot.

Huntsman, Bachmann and Santorum did not file petitions with the Virginia State Board of Elections that would have allowed them a place in the state's primary. Gingrich and Perry filed petitions that were later rejected by the Republican Party of Virginia for not meeting requirements.

Virginia requires candidates to obtain 10,000 signatures from registered voters in the state, with at least 400 signatures coming from each of the commonwealth's 11 congressional districts.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Perry said the statutes of Virginia law that regulate access to the ballot were "among the most onerous in the nation and severely restrict who may obtain petition signatures."

In their release Saturday, Bachmann, Gingrich, Huntsman and Santorum request the board of elections add their names to the ballot, saying it will avoid "unnecessary costs and expenses to the state and the parties" that would be incurred by moving the lawsuit forward.

Immediately after his petition was rejected by the Virginia GOP, Gingrich said he would launch a write-in campaign. It was later determined that Virginia specifically prohibits write-in candidates in primary elections.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul both successfully filed petitions to appear on the Virginia ballot.

The state holds its Republican primary on Super Tuesday, March 6.

–CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/31/candidates-join-perrys-virginia-lawsuit/?hpt=hp_t2

[Shockwave]

Lol...
Cant meet the requirements?
Cant manage your personel well enough to do what is asked, and what other candidates did successfully?
Want to be held to a different standard than others?

Dont worry, you too can simply file a lawsuit and get away with not meeting the requirements, but still being able to run with those that actually CAN follow directions.

Hurray for the new USA standard of lowering/removing the bar because dipshits cant follow directions. I say USA standard, because we seem to do the same thing for everyone, people dont seem to have to meet mininum requirements anymore, cant pass the 5th grade? No problem, well just lower the standard until everyone can pass! Excell in your studies? Doesnt matter, we only care about making sure everyone passes, not in awarding those whose excell, because that would make others feel inferior.  What a fucking world we live in today.

[Bindare_Dundat]

Candidates join Perry's Virginia lawsuit
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Liptak

(CNN) - Four candidates left off the Virginia Republican primary ballot joined Rick Perry Saturday in suing the state's board of elections over laws they say are "unconstitutional."

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum joined the lawsuit, originally filed Tuesday, challenging provisions that determine who can appear on the primary ballot.

On Wednesday, Gingrich cited fraud as the reason he didn’t make it onto the ballot, laying the blame on one of his campaign's paid volunteers.

"We hired somebody who turned in false signatures. We turned in 11,100 – we needed 10,000 – 1,500 of them were by one guy who frankly committed fraud,” Gingrich said.

On Saturday, Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said they were looking into the petition fraud case, but that their top priority was getting on the ballot.

All five candidates filing the lawsuit failed to qualify for the ballot.

Huntsman, Bachmann and Santorum did not file petitions with the Virginia State Board of Elections that would have allowed them a place in the state's primary. Gingrich and Perry filed petitions that were later rejected by the Republican Party of Virginia for not meeting requirements.

Virginia requires candidates to obtain 10,000 signatures from registered voters in the state, with at least 400 signatures coming from each of the commonwealth's 11 congressional districts.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Perry said the statutes of Virginia law that regulate access to the ballot were "among the most onerous in the nation and severely restrict who may obtain petition signatures."

In their release Saturday, Bachmann, Gingrich, Huntsman and Santorum request the board of elections add their names to the ballot, saying it will avoid "unnecessary costs and expenses to the state and the parties" that would be incurred by moving the lawsuit forward.

Immediately after his petition was rejected by the Virginia GOP, Gingrich said he would launch a write-in campaign. It was later determined that Virginia specifically prohibits write-in candidates in primary elections.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul both successfully filed petitions to appear on the Virginia ballot.

The state holds its Republican primary on Super Tuesday, March 6.

–CNN Political Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/31/candidates-join-perrys-virginia-lawsuit/?hpt=hp_t2

Ok, this is downright revolting on so many levels.. This should have people pissed right off.

Put our names on the ballot or inccur a big cost on the court cases. Sounds like the mafia. I cant believe this is even being entertained. There should be a law against even suggesting that these guys can get on now, especially when some of them didn't even hand in sigs at all. The punishment should be getting booted from running at all for being such a douche.

 Gingrich cant seem to get away from some type of fraud. And to think some people still this guy is the best thing since sliced bread. fucking hell.

[Soul Crusher]

VA AG Cuccinelli Email: Ballot access changes going forward, not for 2012
email | January 1, 2012 | Ken Cuccinelli
Posted on January 1, 2012 10:11:25 PM EST by EDINVA

Email from Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia.

January 1, 2012

Dear Friends and Fellow Virginians,

As many of you read yesterday in the news (link here for the story) I was considering supporting an effort to change the rules to allow the full range of presidential candidates on Virginia's ballot on March 6th.

I obviously feel very strongly that Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections. However, after working through different scenarios with Republican and Democratic leaders to attempt to make changes in time for the 2012 Presidential election, my concern grows that we cannot find a way to make such changes fair to the Romney and Paul campaigns that qualified even with Virginia's burdensome system. A further critical factor that I must consider is that changing the rules midstream is inconsistent with respecting and preserving the rule of law - something I am particularly sensitive to as Virginia's attorney general.

My intentions have never focused on which candidates would be benefited or harmed, rather I have focused on what is best for Virginia's citizens, as hundreds of thousands of Virginians who should have been able to make their choices among the full field of presidential primary contenders have had their number of choices reduced significantly.

My primary responsibility is to the people of Virginia, and how best to fulfill that responsibility in these particular circumstances has been a very difficult question for me. I believe consistency on the part of public officials is an important attribute. And I believe that Virginians are best served by an attorney general who consistently supports the rule of law. That leads to my conclusion that while I will vigorously support efforts to reduce the hurdles to ballot access in Virginia for all candidates, I will not support efforts to apply such changes to the 2012 Presidential election.

I do not change position on issues of public policy often or lightly. But when convinced that my position is wrong, I think it necessary to concede as much and adjust accordingly.

Sincerely,

Ken Cuccinelli II Attorney General of Virginia

[240 is Back]

if you can't manage getting 10,000 signatures in a swing state... then you are going to be in shit shape trying to manage 50 states' worth of races against Obama.


You either have the organization and know-how, or you don't.   

Do I believe Mitt and Ron Paul would run highly powerful campaigns against Obama?  Yes, definitely.  Mitt has huge support with every level of leader and have been running fulltime for 6 years.  Ron Paul's fans win every poll and would crawl thru glass to vote for RPaul.

Could I really see Team newt missing a deadline and not qualifying in a state against Obama?   Yes, I could.  Didn't he miss missouri deadline too?  Another swing state.  Inexcusable.

[Bindare_Dundat]

VA AG Cuccinelli Email: Ballot access changes going forward, not for 2012
email | January 1, 2012 | Ken Cuccinelli
Posted on January 1, 2012 10:11:25 PM EST by EDINVA

Email from Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia.

January 1, 2012

Dear Friends and Fellow Virginians,

As many of you read yesterday in the news (link here for the story) I was considering supporting an effort to change the rules to allow the full range of presidential candidates on Virginia's ballot on March 6th.

I obviously feel very strongly that Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections. However, after working through different scenarios with Republican and Democratic leaders to attempt to make changes in time for the 2012 Presidential election, my concern grows that we cannot find a way to make such changes fair to the Romney and Paul campaigns that qualified even with Virginia's burdensome system. A further critical factor that I must consider is that changing the rules midstream is inconsistent with respecting and preserving the rule of law - something I am particularly sensitive to as Virginia's attorney general.

My intentions have never focused on which candidates would be benefited or harmed, rather I have focused on what is best for Virginia's citizens, as hundreds of thousands of Virginians who should have been able to make their choices among the full field of presidential primary contenders have had their number of choices reduced significantly.

My primary responsibility is to the people of Virginia, and how best to fulfill that responsibility in these particular circumstances has been a very difficult question for me. I believe consistency on the part of public officials is an important attribute. And I believe that Virginians are best served by an attorney general who consistently supports the rule of law. That leads to my conclusion that while I will vigorously support efforts to reduce the hurdles to ballot access in Virginia for all candidates, I will not support efforts to apply such changes to the 2012 Presidential election.

I do not change position on issues of public policy often or lightly. But when convinced that my position is wrong, I think it necessary to concede as much and adjust accordingly.

Sincerely,

Ken Cuccinelli II Attorney General of Virginia

I bet he got a lot of convincing....lol

[Hugo Chavez]

If you can't get that many signitures lolololol...

[240 is Back]

If you can't get that many signitures lolololol...

repubs should be happy that the highly disorganized nature of some of these campaigns is known now.

Better than waiting until they're matched up against community organizer - who pwned Mccain all over with that streamlined street work in 2008.

You try this amateur hour shit in 2012 and it's 4 more years of obama.  Think about it - Newt had time to vacation in Greece - but he didn't have time to get signatures in Virgina.  That week he spent in Greece would have easily gotten 1000 signatures.  A 7-city tour where you shake Newt's hand and sign the form.   He would have gotten way more than 10,000 signatures.

You alreay have a president that vacations in hawaii when we don't have a budget.
WHy hire a president who vacations in Greece instead of actually getting on a swing state ballot WHERE HE LIVES!!!